12 Days of Christmas
by EndlessDevotionx
Summary: "On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." If only he knew she'd be his true love beforehand, he'd have known the feeling in that desolate world sooner. Yet, no arguments here. He guessed it was the best present he had ever recieved.
1. White Elephant

**12 days of Christmas.**  
><strong>White Elephant.<br>**

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><p>Her friends (and one younger sister) were all gathered around her desk, buzzing enthusiastically about the upcoming festivities. All of them – Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kikyou – standing beside her desk, located at the front of the class while all their other peers bunched together with their cliques as well. The school was coming up with a Christmas festival and dance and they were all excited to spend that time together as friends for their last year as seniors. Kagome couldn't feel more elated in her heart to be in their company, and even more loved as they shared laughter and excitement together. "Sango and I will win Christmas Prince and Princess of course," Miroku said a little too… "Pervert," Sango replied in irritation, knocking him on the head with her knuckles. Kagome only laughed, "A little too bold with your hand, again, Miroku." Inuyasha knocked him as well, earning a glare from Miroku, "What elicits that from you, Inuyasha?!" He said, rubbing the back of his pained head. "So that it knocks some sense into ya," Inuyasha retorted, making Sango and Kagome giggle. Kikyou, as silent as ever, only had a small smile on her face as she still enjoyed the company and laughter that filled the room.<p>

In the corner of her eye, Kagome could see a spot of silver flow smoothly. She let her attention draw from her friends to the source of the silver, and saw that it was Sesshoumaru approaching the teacher and striking up a conversation. For a moment, she pondered at his mystery. How he seemed to be the most popular boy in school while never seeming to speak a word to anyone or associate himself with any 'friends.' How he seemed too far from being lucid, his ambiguous nature falling into how reserved he tended to be.

"I think that would be a great idea," Kikyou softly agreed, her excitement laced in her tiny voice. Upon hearing her younger sister speak, Kagome turned her attention back to her friends and the discussion she was currently missing out on. "A white elephant!" Sango clapped excitedly. "I've never done that before."

Kagome only smiled, her eyes twinkling with mirth and Christmas spirit even more. As they wrote down their names and threw it in the middle, Kagome had a passing thought in which she enlightened herself with asking once Mirouku started calling the names.

"Hey, Yasha? Does your brother ever get any gifts from friends?" Kagome inquired to the inu hangyou sitting next to her. Inu Yasha looked a bit surprised at the question, but answered. "…. No. Actually, he never does. I don't think he has any. Just gifts from family associates that he's forced to interact with to keep appearances for my father, and a couple tacky-ass ones from admirers."

"Hm," Kagome said quietly, looking as if to ponder to herself. Inu Yasha seemed to notice. "Why, what's up?" In response, she only smiled softly and shook her head. "Nothing," She replied.

"Kagome, you have Inu Yasha."

And she also noted another long, silver-haired man to be her other white elephant silently. A rather lonely one, she presumed. 

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><p><strong>AN: **I was in just the biggest Christmas Spirit, knowing we only have 25 days left over here in California! AHHHHHHH! (: So I decided to write a small little romance fic with small chapters. Hope you enjoy it!


	2. Friend

**12 Days of Christmas.**  
><strong>Friend.<br>**

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><p>The two walked into the large house, rubbing their feet against the carpet to better rid of the snow that coated the sidewalks and streets. "This assignment better be good, you're my partner after all," Inu Yasha grunted, not liking the idea of this paper. It seemed boring and bland and… It was about history. With a roll of her eyes and a small giggle, Kagome replied, "Seriously, Yasha. You're going to make me do all the work. What a best friend you are, thank you very much." With that, she nudged him playfully on the arm and he chuckled. "Hold on, Kags, gotta let the old man know we're here. Just rest up a bit in the living room."<p>

Obeying the friendly command, Kagome walked into the next room and sat politely on the couch, not getting up to touch any of the expensive decorations that hung about it to keep from breaking anything. Her eyes settled on the family portrait hanging in the center of the room just between the couches, a good sized painting that took up half the wall. There was Inu no Taisho – tall, masculine, handsome, his demonic markings on his cheeks making him easily read as an adult inu youkai. He had a smile on his face, along with his wife, along with Inu Yasha…. And then you got to Sesshoumaru. Downward. Solemn. It was a frown.

She didn't realize she had stood up to get a better view of his face, her hands nearly touching the tips of his mouth.

"My son hasn't smiled for a very, very long time."

"Ah!" Kagome jumped in alarm, turning around to see the tall, regal Inu no Taisho standing before her with a friendly smile on his face. "No need to fret, dear, it's just me." She only smiled and bowed deeply, "Hello, Taisho-sama." The demon walked up to the girl and put his hand on her shoulder, and when her gaze met his, he returned his eyes to the painting. "There was a time when he used to smile, you know," He said with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I miss that son."

Eyes widened, Kagome could only imagine such a thing. Sesshoumaru smiling? A genuine smile? "Can you tell me more, Taisho-sama?" Shocked at the request and eyes widening in turn to her, he let out a laugh. "Well, you seem interested in my son quite a lot, young one." Perhaps it would have been romantic if a blush flushed her cheeks, but it didn't happen. Kagome only looked on at the demon lord with pure innocence – stern, but innocent in every way. "I'm… worried about him. As a friend. A friend he doesn't know he has, but only wants to know him more. Inu Yasha has told me part of his lonely life. Perhaps…" Kagome straightened herself, brushing off her plaid school skirt, then looked at Inu no Taisho. A twinkle of some sort passed through his eyes; she couldn't quite pin what it was, but he talked before she could put in a word. "I'd be glad to. More than happy to. Not many know of the days my son was so carefree, perhaps it'd help my soul to share it with one who cares to listen as a friend rather than one with any ulterior motives." That was delightful in every sense, Kagome decided, nodding her head with a smile on her face.

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><p><strong>AN: **Something about not making Sesshoumaru a smiley person in my fics. MAYBE it's fitting, I don't seem to remember him smiling at all in the anime. I'm always so unsure about my updates, goodness _;; Lol! Well, update number two is up! Thank you for the two wonderful reviews, you know who you are :) I'm glad you enjoyed it!


	3. Shared Pain

**12 Days of Christmas**  
><strong>Shared Pain<br>**

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><p><em>A dark cloud loomed over the once pristine sky, the white and blue turning into a bleak gray. The storm was coming, and coming in fast. And it added nothing but more pure tension in the Tashio household.<em>

_"You sacrifice your family that you have now, the welfare of your child, for a human wench that will probably mean nothing more to you in the future," Sesshoumaru heard, her voice filled with restrained malice. "Do you not know what this means for our son? For me? Do you not have an ounce of honor in your bones, Inu no Tashio?"_

_He waited to listen in on his father's response in which was a small pause. Then… "She's with child." A loud growl could be heard resonating throughout the room, and what sounded like the breaking of the living room vases – fragile glass – followed after. "With CHILD?! You bring such a preposterous, dishonorable act into this family?! With a human wench?! In our MARRIAGE?! She's with YOUR child? When you are MARRIED to ME. How will I explain this to Sesshoumaru? To our servants? To your associates? How do you think this will carry out, Tashio." She seemed to have spit his last name out with venom as much as it sounded as if she was pushing back tears. "How could you put me through this?" Her voice broke._

_Images of her funeral, her coffin amidst the black crowds and dreary sky flooded Sesshoumaru's mind as if the break in her voice caused a break in his heart, her heart, in the entire family and gave way to a foreboding sense of the future._

_"Mama?" Sesshoumaru called out, not bearing to hear it break any longer. A gasp could be heard from his mother as he pushed open the door._

_"Oh my Lord, Sesshoumaru, dear, I did not notice you were there, I'm so sorry. I was…"_

_It didn't work. Sesshoumaru had thought that if he showed his face, she'd turn and smile, be the same mama he knew that loved him dearly, the same mama that would smile every time he called her. It didn't work. Tears streamed down her cheeks, shimmering in the dim light as her face and figure remained shrouded in the dark._

_He ran up to her, rushing in an open embrace, furrowing his head deeper into her stomach as she welcomed him on bended knees and open arms. He pulled away after a moment's time, although feeling as if he wasn't entirely ready to see his father standing aloof behind her, his head turned away in shame, fear. Whatever could be running through him, but at this moment, Sesshoumaru couldn't care. He only wanted his mother to smile._

_"Let's play." His voice broke, resembling his mother's. His eyes tried to be bright, but dimmed as the clouds did, the rain reiterating the darkness overtaking his heart. Right on his face lay a soft smile. Forced, but soft and genuine. Forced – in hopes that she would find a way to happy with him again. But soft, and true. Although broken._

_And before he knew it he was before her coffin, her misery still permeating the air as if her carcass seeped the sadness throughout the crowds, and especially his heart. His father. The root of the pain, the one at fault, standing behind him as if he had the right to._

_And a cry. He cried loudly, deeply, as the darkness consumed him._

… "Nnnnnnn…" She whined, her eyes clenched shut tightly to keep the pulsing pain in her heart at bay. In an instant, she shot up from her bed, panting and breathing heavily in response to the vivid imagery that had haunted her sleep. In an instant, she felt anger towards Sesshoumaru's father, remembering his horrid story, anger at him for putting Sesshoumaru through that, and settling so much pain in the family that Sesshoumaru had once held dear. And once that instant passed, a tear… A tear fell along with another, moistening her nightgown slightly. Soon, she broke into sobs and began desperately wiping away at her eyes with her hands.

It was in that moment she felt she had shared his pain by the power of the Gods, just through one dream.


End file.
